


Dancing Lights

by SoberFrost



Series: Frostbite Saga [3]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: But they've got each other so that's going to have to be good enough, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, These Kids Deserve So Much Better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:02:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25000576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoberFrost/pseuds/SoberFrost
Summary: Cameron shows Artemis something he can do with his powers. Pre-Season 1.An extended scene from Chapter 14 of "I've Got Your Back (Even When I Don't)"
Relationships: Artemis Crock & Cameron Mahkent, Artemis Crock/Cameron Mahkent, if you squint
Series: Frostbite Saga [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1848493
Kudos: 13





	Dancing Lights

**Author's Note:**

> This is an excerpt I had written as part of a larger Artemis/Icicle Jr. story but I felt like sharing this early because the larger story is absurdly far from complete and frankly, at the time I didn't know if it would ever get past a misshapen outline of sorts.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice, only my ideas and my typos.

**Dancing Lights**

**Gotham City**

**10:41 P.M**

**2 Years Before The Team**

"Hey, look at what I can do!" exclaimed Cameron, jumping onto his feet with far more excitement than seemed appropriate for a 13-year-old boy. He took a few steps away from the bed, moving to the center of the room where moonlight from outside filtered in and gave him the spotlight he was looking for. Looking back at the blonde girl observing him with an arched eyebrow, he starting rubbing his hands together. He started slowly at first, but with a building pace and intensity until he starting blowing into his hands with force, clenching them tight into fists close to his face. After almost a minute of this, his face relaxed into a grin of victory and he threw his hands up excitedly, palms stretched outwards as if to release something. His smile quickly turned to a look of dejection when all that left his hands was a few puny snowflakes. Certainly nothing to brag about.

Artemis flat out laughed at the abject failure of her icy comrade.

"Wow, I'm soooo impressed," she taunted, reveling in Cameron's miserable expression. She glanced at him in between laughs and the sight of his pout caused her to fall back on her bed as another laughing fit overtook her.

"No, no, no. That's not what I-argh!" exclaimed Cameron, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Just watch."

The cyrokinetic teen rubbed his hands together with even more ferocity and he started blowing into them harder. His eyebrows scrunched together in concentration as he focused. He seemed to be in such a zone that Artemis stopped laughing and started waiting in anticipation.

After a minute or so, he quickly extended his hands into the air and Artemis caught herself flinching in surprise as bright rays of...light?...burst through the room, lighting up the area. Faint hues of green, purple, yellow, red, and blue shot around beautifully. They bobbed and waved through the air and around the dresser, going under the bed, and even through the slats of the louvered doors of her closet. She couldn't help but jump out of her bed and stare around in awe.

"Beautiful isn't it?" asked Cameron, a smirk across his face. It was a rare accomplishment to surprise his best friend with his powers.

Artemis didn't answer, instead looking closer at the display of bright colors around her. She put her hands through one of the rays – waves? – of light around her and realized that the whole display was made up of small crystals. Somehow Cameron had given them color and organized them in a way that they constructed something grander than he honestly had any business creating. She wasn't quite sure what she was staring at, but it was mesmerizing and it looked oddly familiar.

"It's the aurora borealis lights," Cameron explained, answering the question she never even asked. "I saw them once with my dad, when were in Northern Canada, kinda close to the north pole. They're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

She couldn't help but agree with his assessment: They were beautiful. They looked like they were moving long after they shot out of Cameron's hands, and on closer inspection Artemis could see that the little crystals that made up the lights were actually moving back and forth. They flowed like they were dancing to some secret tune that only Cameron could hear. It gave them a magical feel, like it was like a scene out of a Disney movie. The kind that she would normally make fun of.

"H-how can you even do this?" she asked, her voice gushing with awe.

"I'm not sure. I've only ever done it once before, and last time it was different colors. I think it has something to do with my emotions."

"This is..this is amazing."

The two sat down on Artemis's bed, basking in the sight before them. They were two kids living a life filled with ugliness and they had long ago learned to appreciate beauty whenever they could find it. Even more so if one of them could take credit for it.

After a while of sitting in silence, Cameron spoke up, his voice a little bit more than a whisper to make sure that the adult in the house, _the_ Sportsmaster, didn't pick up on what he was saying.

"Don't tell my Dad about this. I-I don't want him to know I can do this. He…he thinks stuff like this is a waste. That my powers have _other_ purposes." Artemis almost winced at the last part of his statement. She had seen how cruel the senior cyrokinetic was to his son. The insults and bruises he left on Cameron, physically and emotionally, made her almost grateful for her own father. She looked at the empty bed across from hers and the poster of the Cheshire cat that hung on the wall above it. _Almost._

Her hand reached out to cover Cameron's and squeezed. It was a small physical act, but it displayed her support without her having to verbalize them. She verbalized them anyway.

"Don't worry Cam. I always got your back."

 _"We've_ got each other's backs," he corrected, though he made no effort to move her hand away from his.

Around them the lights started to shift to a more purple/pink hue. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Artemis made a mental note to ask him which colors meant what emotion, but for now she was content to relax into her bed-sheets and soak in the dancing lights.

**Author's Note:**

> Awww, this felt good to write. Leave your thoughts!


End file.
